Open-air exhibition shows atmosphere of inter-war period garden

Prague, July 18 (CTK) - Special flowerbeds, garden architecture and an old merry-go-round are parts of the open-air exhibition which started in Prague's Museum of Agriculture on Wednesday to show the atmosphere of gardens from the interwar period and mark 100 years from the birth of Czechoslovakia.

Like the whole country, the National Museum of Agriculture (NZM) celebrates its 100th birthday this year.

The stylised garden in the museum courtyard acquaints the visitors with a typical garden arrangement from the period of the Czechoslovak First Republic (1918-1938), resting in rich flower and rose beds, garden constructions and numerous complementary elements.

The exhibition "overgrows" up to the museum roof, where further flower beds are situated along with a sundial.

In addition, the authors have added elements of a town fun fair, such as a historical merry-go-round, a garden restaurant and a small farmer's yard with domestic animals, to the exhibition.

"The garden and landscape architecture experienced an unprecedented boom in Czechoslovakia in the first half of the 20th century..., finally attaining the world level," said Zdenek Novak, an expert in the history of garden and landscape art and the government coordinator of the Czechoslovak centenary celebrations.

That is why the art of the then garden architects means a significant part of the national cultural heritage, Novak said.

Referring to a research, he said that an older generation of Czech garden architects tried to develop a special national style, but their attempts failed and the inspiration with old European styles, which is the Italian, French and also English gardens, finally prevailed in interwar Czechoslovakia.

"The international approach to the garden art prevailed over our national ambition," Novak said.

The period garden will remain installed in the NZM courtyard for one year at least.